Change The Past
by enthusiastofbooks115
Summary: Emma has been having the time of her life, traveling the world with her family... However, she misses her friends and the iconic bond they had with each other. When an opportunity presents itself to resolve all of her heartache, she takes it. However, was taking the opportunity more of an act of impulsiveness than what Emma believed it to be?
1. Chapter 1

Change the Past

Emma Gilbert floated serenely on the surface of her family's pool. It had been approximately a year since they had arrived at Venice and three years since they had begun to travel the world, but she still longed for her friends. At first, going sightseeing and experiencing a diverse variety of cultures was so refreshing, but the more time she spent away from the home she'd known all of her life, the more heartache she had to endure everyday. It was also even more difficult to obscure her identity as a mermaid from her parents without the assistance of her friends.

Being the three iconic mermaids were what made her, Cleo, and Rikki's friendship so special and amazing. It was what bonded them together; a united force of girls against the turmoil of the world. They even shared a locket that represented their union together, with a tiny crystal embedded at the top to indicate the abilities they respectively possessed. Her mind envisioned all of the memories they shared; from giggling at the juice bar, to swimming in the crystal-blue waters to Mako Island. It was so blissful.. And so traumatizing to think that she abandoned all of that for a trip with her family. Of course, there was Ash… _Ash_ ….

Honestly, despite all of the twists and turns in their relationship, Emma still loved him with all of her heart. With his handsome looks, calm demeanor, and charming smile, he was the one to steal Emma's heart completely, compared to all of the other crushes in her past. When Emma gently and delicately broke the news to him that she was leaving for who knows how long, she was horrified to see his face crumple. Her heart clenched in pain as he wrapped her in a firm embrace, his fingers entangling themselves in her long, blond hair.

"Take me with you…" Ash murmured into her ear, his breath grazing her skin, "Please don't leave me here…"

A single tear streaked down Emma's face as she stammered, "I-I'm sorry, Ash… I have to go… My family can't just let me stay in the Gold Coast by myself…"

Saying goodbye to the life she'd known was one of the hardest things she had ever done. She could barely look her friends in the face as she grabbed her suitcase by the handle and slowly stepped out of her childhood house…

Emma shook herself back to reality. She was so absorbed in her memories that she hadn't noticed that she was crying. Wiping her tear-stained face, she pulled herself over the edge of the pool and rolled towards a cluster of shrubs to dry off. As she lay in the cool grass, she wondered about her friends. Surely, they'd be in college by now, with Lewis and Zane… She wondered about the new girl Rikki mentioned three years back, a few months after she had left. Rikki had texted her, telling her how suspicious she was of the girl… Of course, Emma had responded by telling her to be open to new things, such as making new friends. Now that she thought about it, she was envious of the girl, regretting her choice of encouraging Rikki to be open to new things. From the very occasional texts she received from Rikki and Cleo, they were actually the best of friends. Even if they were, Emma hoped with all of her heart that they hadn't gotten rid of the lockets. The whole point of giving hers to Cleo was so that the three lockets could be together, even if the three mermaids were separated.

Noticing that her sparkling orange tail had vanished completely, she stood up in her fuzzy blue bathrobe, and walked into the house through the sliding doors discreetly. Well, not discreetly enough…

"Where did you just come from, Emma dear?" her mother questioned her, her eyes narrowed dubiously at her daughter.

Stuttering nervously, Emma answered, "Oh.. W-well, I was getting some fresh air. The house… can be so muggy sometimes, you know?"

Lisa was still distrustful of this alibi and gently assumed, "Ah, this is about Rikki and Cleo, is it? And Ash, I presume?"

As if pushed to her breaking point, Emma bobbed her head with fresh tears springing from her eyes. Lisa extended her arms towards Emma and embraced her, one hand resting behind her daughter's hand. "I know it is hard, Emma, to have left the place you've called home all your life… However, your father and I brought you and Elliot on this trip to expose you to new cultures… To show you that life is full of surprises, and that one surprise might lead you to a life of happiness and success. Once you've finished college, we can all return to the Gold Coast, but for now… Please don't punish yourself by staying up so late, darling. It won't do you any good…"

As if on cue, Emma suddenly collapsed onto her mother completely, losing her footing on the floor. As her mother frantically called her family down, Emma began to have a vision…

* * *

 _Emma slowly opened her eyes to a world of color and haziness._

" _Where am I?" she asked aloud, as she hovered placidly in the air._

 _A mysterious yet kind voice said, "In the space between, my dear Emma…"_

 _That voice was so familiar.. Yet, when Emma heard it, she was unsure of the person's identity, since she hadn't seen her in so long… "Ms. Chatham?"_

" _Ah, yes… Hello, my darling," Ms. Chatham answered, her twinkling laughter echoing in the distance._

 _Emma turned around to discover Ms. Chatham floating beside her. Her golden hair floated beside her in curls and her normal, silky blue clothing had been replaced by a white tunic… However, her eyes still had the same, maternal glow, and her smile was still as bright as ever…_

" _Why have you brought me here, Ms. Chatham?"_

" _I have brought you here, young Emma, to show you the answer to your troubles… The one thing that can reunite you with your friends… Rikki and Cleo…"_

" _What?" Emma sucked in a breath, astonished that there was such an object._

 _Ms. Chatham floated closer and took Emma's hand in her warm grip, "Come, my dear…"_

 _They practically flew through this world until they arrived at an expanse of glittering water. "Look below the surface, my girl, and you shall find your answer…" Ms. Chatham whispered, before disappearing._

" _Wait!" Emma called, but it was too late. Exasperated, Emma dove into the water, the sensation so comfortable… She missed gliding through the water with her friends, but right now, she had a mission… As she swam, she came across something glistening in an oyster bar. She swam closer and discovered that it was a shell.. However, something about this shell seemed surrealistic… Magical…_

 _Discovering her answer, Emma plucked the shell out of the cavity, and swam away…_

* * *

"Emma! Emma, sweetie, can you hear me?" her father and mother called, as they repeatedly shook her until she awoke.

"Huh?" Emma groggily spoke, as she sat up, rubbing her aching head.

Her parents hugged her tightly, whispering, "Thank goodness you're alright. We thought you were coming down with something terrible…"

As Emma's mind rewound the previous events, she remembered the shell that she took in her vision. In her clenched hand, she felt the sharpness of its edges on her palm. For once since she moved, she smiled genuinely, "Oh, yes… I'm fine…"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2~

It was one of the brightest days of all of the bright days in the Gold Coast… However, it was also the hottest…

"Why does it have to be so humid?" Cleo panted, fanning herself frantically with a magazine.

Bella grumpily responded, "It's not like you can change this weather condition. We live in Australia! What do you expect?"

They were all lounging in Cleo's room, giggling about their college lives and complaining about the overwhelming heat lingering in the air. Rikki pushed her sticky, blonde hair from her face, and chimed, "Why don't we all go for a swim? It'll be much cooler, and we barely had anytime to hang out since college started."

They all agreed enthusiastically, and ran out of the house, not bothering to put on their shoes. Rikki hollered behind her back, "Race you to the shore!" Bella and Cleo sighed at Rikki's need for competition. They all slowed down as they reached the shore and before jumping in, they glanced around the beach to make sure it was relatively secluded.

Cleo challenged, "Why don't we race to Mako? First one there gets bragging rights and the other two have to buy the winner juices for a week!"

Bella and Rikki said in unison, "Deal!"

Together, they jumped into the rushing waters, instantly transforming into mermaids in a flurry of bubbles. Swishing their powerful, glistening orange tails, they speed-swam across the coral reef to Mako Island. A couple of bewildered turtles were startled when something slammed into them, but wasn't visible.

As Rikki neared the familiar underground cave opening, she smiled triumphantly at her impending victory, but suddenly, Cleo hastily swam past her into the cave opening. Rikki followed in irritation. Emerging from the water, she exclaimed, "Hey!"

Smiling mischievously, Cleo innocently said, "What? It wasn't against the rules, you know."

Bella arrived last, already exhausted and out of breath, "I don't know how you guys can swim so quickly."

"It's not a blessing, young Bella. I have worked hard to master the skill of speed-swimming," Rikki mockingly said, using a joking air of arrogance.

Cleo countered, "Hey, now, if Emma were here, she'd beat us all!"

At the mention of Emma's name, the loud, boisterous voices diminished until it was completely silent in the moon pool. Although Cleo and Rikki mournfully thought of their former best friend, Bella's curiosity was piqued.

"Forgive me, but, um… Who is Emma?" Bella asked.

Rikki slapped one hand to her forehead, "I can't believe we forgot to tell Bella about Emma!"

"Ugh, we're such terrible friends!" Cleo groaned against her palm.

Quietly, Bella said, "Okay, instead of blaming yourselves… Why don't you tell me who this Emma is? Is she a mermaid, like us?"

Cleo explained, "Yeah, Emma transformed with us, when we first came across the moon pool. She had ice-based powers…"

"And she was a bossy little nerd…" Rikki teased.

Bella chuckled, "Ah, I'm assuming she was like Cleo is now?"

"Hey!" Cleo indignantly exclaimed.

As they laughed over the parallels between Cleo and Emma, a more pressing question began to bother Bella. She timidly asked, "Am I a good friend?"

"OF COURSE!" Rikki bellowed, before sheepishly covering up her mouth as the sound echoed around the cave.

Cleo gently answered, "Of course, Bella. You're one of us. We will stick together, and face whatever problems the world throws at us _together_." before glaring pointedly at Rikki, "although Rikki didn't explain that properly."

A moment was shared between the three mermaids as they appreciated the powerful bond they had between them. It was often said that teenagers have twice the struggle in life to cope with school and friends. However, three teenaged _mermaids_ were a completely different story, and they had to learn to balance their lives as humans and mermaids. No matter what, though, they'd always be there for each other.

Cleo smiled, "Now, who's ready for those juices? After all, you're buying them for me!"

Sullenly, Rikki and Bella remembered the deal they made with Cleo. Cleo laughed as her friends reluctantly swam out of the moon pool cave, before following them. In the midst of their happiness, all thoughts of Emma had vanished from the minds, as Rikki and Cleo only thought of how Bella made a wonderful friend for their legendary mermaid trio.


	3. Chapter 3

Emma hugged her journal to her chest, as she hastily rushed out of her house towards Caffe Florian. After school, it had become a tendency of hers to visit her favorite cafe for a cup of coffee. However, today, she needed to express the emotional turmoil she was experiencing on paper, otherwise she might explode.

Approaching Florinda at the counter, she promptly began to examine the different desserts on display before purchasing a gourmet chocolate cupcake with a generous dollop of frosting on top.

"A latte with cream, as usual?" Florinda asked perkily.

Emma sighed, "You know it."

After Florinda handed her a steaming mug and a cupcake, Emma chose a seat near the corner of the shop and immersed herself in her surroundings. The fragrant aromas of chocolate and cinnamon emanated from the back of the shop, providing a nice atmosphere for the customers. Breathing in, Emma took a sip of her latte, picked up her pen, and began to write in her journal.

Before leaving the Gold Coast, Emma had used her savings to buy a journal to record her thoughts about the different countries she would visit. Her journal was already ¾ full, with notes on the architecture and natural beauty of the places she had resided in. It was her sacred possession, a way of recollection if she wanted to live through those memories again. Today, her journal was her stronghold to protect her thoughts and secrets.

Letting her mind brood over her thoughts, she began to furiously scribble down anything that popped up. She wrote about her happiness and excitement when she first left the Gold Coast; the thrill of traveling the world and immersing herself in different cultures was exhilarating. After two years passed though, a terrible, agonizing feeling began to consume her. At first, she couldn't identify it, but she realized it was homesickness. The Gold Coast was truly her home. She would never discover another place where she could truly fit in. She missed the Marine Park, she missed her friends, and most of all, she missed swimming through the waters with her friends. Swimming pleasantly through the waters was so liberating, as she admired the beauty of the ocean world, from the bright, colorful corals to the playful sea creatures. She missed everything about the Gold Coast. Some nights, she even wished that her parents hadn't decided to take up the opportunity to travel the world…

"What's this?" a voice drawled abruptly.

"Huh?" Emma gasped, as she just realized her journal was stolen by a dark-haired girl with piercing eyes.

Cackling, Alessandra gestured to what Emma had written in her journal to her two airheaded minions, and simpered, "Someone misses her friends!"

Siena responded, laughing hysterically, "What a loser!"

"Go away, Alessandra," Emma said, tears threatening to spring from her eyes. A year ago, when she moved to Venice, Alessandra had offered her friendship to Emma, only as a means to twist everything Emma said into something ridiculous and spread rumors about her. Like a fool, Emma thought it was all a misunderstanding before Alessandra locked her in a closet as a prank at school. The janitor had to come to get her out of the dark, rat-infested room.

"Aww… Would you look at that! She's crying!" Carina added, doubling over and

laughing.

No longer able to deal with her bullies, Emma ran out of the cafe, sobbing. It was a good thing no one was home at the moment. Her brother was at a friend's house and her parents were both at work. She didn't want anyone to witness her vulnerable state currently. As soon as she entered her house, she locked the front door and hurtled up the stairs. Arriving at her bedroom, she slammed the door shut and collapsed on her bed, crying.

"I can't do this… I can't do this…" Emma whispered, as tears fell onto her bedsheets.

After sobbing for a few minutes, realization struck and she looked around her room. Remembering the shell she had somehow received from her visit to the "dream world," as she liked to call it, she walked up to her desk and picked it up. She turned it around in her hand, trying to grasp the general idea of how the shell worked. Ms. Chatham had said that it would somehow resolve her heartache, but how?  
Deciding to go with her instincts, Emma muttered, "I wish I could go back to the Gold Coast."  
In an instant, she vanished, leaving no trace behind.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4~

Sipping a refreshingly sweet, ice-cold drink under the shade of trees with a good book and in the company of awesome friends was exactly how Cleo wanted to spend a perfect summer day. However, for others, that wasn't the case…

"Cleo! I can't believe you! That juice cost me thirty four dollars!" Rikki moaned, pulling at her blond curls.

"I can't believe that Zane had a secret menu added to the original menu," Bella mused, "34 dollars! How does Zane do his pricing?"

Cleo smiled, "Well, it was all worth it. This juice is delicious."

"Price-wise, though! My gosh!" Rikki exclaimed.

Suddenly, a _ding_ emanated from Bella's pocket, abruptly bringing their conversation to a halt. Bella reached to grab her phone and checked the recent notifications. She grimaced as she said, "Ah, guys, sorry. Will said that he wants to show me something. Some random surprise."

"Ah, a present! Delightful!" Rikki proclaimed with a flourish.

Bella waved a half-hearted goodbye to her friends before departing off to Will's boatshed.

Watching Bella go somehow stimulated some memories. Bella's departure, no matter how minor, seemed to remind Cleo and Rikki of Emma "abandoning" them. So many memories fled back, as they remembered each memorable occasion, from first encountering each other, to their last adventure of bringing down Charlotte.

"Hey, Rikki?" Cleo said.

Rikki responded, "Yeah?"

"Remember the time when Zane tricked me into going adrift on his boat?"

Rikki smiled, "Yeah, and I saved you by _heroically_ jumping onto the boat from the docks and steering it."

"Yeah, those were great times," Cleo said nostalgically, going through the memorable recollections of her adventures with Rikki and Emma. The first moment she met Rikki, she already felt a spark, or a connection of some sort. She was always quite the optimist when she was younger, but she felt as if Rikki was just destined to encounter her. Emma hadn't been too pleased to befriend someone so rebellious in contrast to her uptight personality, but even she had eased up to Rikki. An idea struck Cleo as she continued to rewind the events of how they all first met.

"Want to go for a ride in Zane's boat? I mean, he's still trying to get together with you again; he'll do anything for you," Cleo suggested.

"When did you become so carefree?" Rikki questioned, looking amused.

Suddenly looking sheepish, Cleo stammered, "Ah, well.. I-I mean, if you don't want to…"

Smiling and taking ahold of her friend's hand, Rikki firmly answered, "I'd love to."

* * *

It turns out, trying to request a ride in Zane's boat was a lot more difficult and time-consuming than Rikki and Cleo thought. He had spent the entire time babbling and trying to convince Rikki to go for a picnic with him on Mako Island. Of course, Rikki refused, impatiently insisting for the boat.

"Zane, we just want the boat! If you say no, then fine, we'll go. However, stop trying to flirt with Rikki! It's sickening!" Cleo admonished, looking irritated.

With Cleo being so direct with him for the first time, Zane awkwardly scratched his brown hair, and rambled, "Yeah, of course. Totally. Um, yeah…" Turning to Rikki, he grinned weakly, "So, you'll get back to me with your answer?"

In response, Rikki snatched the keys from his hand and sing-songed, "Thank you."

After exiting the cafe, Rikki annoyingly whispered, "Can you believe Zane? Trying to win me over!"

Cleo muttered back, "Zane was pretty annoying, but let's just focus on enjoying the time we have in that boat. It'll bring back old memories."

Together, they ran towards the cluster of boats at the docks and found the distinguishable, bright red boat Zane owned. Seeing it made them tear up, but they still calmly entered the boat and powered it on. Maneuvering the boat around, Rikki steered it through the calmly lapping waves, and offered, "Why don't we head over to the place I first met Emma?"

Cleo clapped her hands together, "Of course! It was the first time Emma actually agreed to riding in someone else's boat without their permission!"

Rikki immediately headed towards the area, slowing down when they came across the familiar pathway, where Emma had reprimanded them for riding in someone's boat without their consent. Rikki and Cleo felt mild heartache, before shaking their heads, prepared to turn around.

Suddenly, a noise resounded behind them. It was as if a thousand fireworks were launched into the sky at the same time. Wincing from the pain in their ears, Rikki and Cleo slowly turned around to discover a figure with long, blond hair and a radiant smile staring back at them.

"Please tell me I'm hallucinating," Rikki said into Cleo's ear, "Otherwise, I'm experiencing total deja vu."

"Hi, guys," the girl greeted them warmly, "It is nice to be back."

Cleo whispered in shock and disbelief, "Emma?"


	5. Chapter 5

Bella walked across the sandy grounds towards Will's weathered, paint-chipped boatshed. Honestly, it was a wonder how he could cope living there. How could his parents even allow him to live alone? However, thinking about the circumstances of her transformation into a mermaid, she quickly brushed off her surprise.

Will was already standing on the porch of his boatshed, smiling a greeting to her. Gently taking her hand into his, he led her inside to showcase his new collection of shells. It had become a routine to do this every time they snatched a few minutes to themselves, and Bella usually tried resisting her boredom to enjoy being in her boyfriend's company; however, today, she was incredibly antsy about the surprise Will said he was going to show her.

Will's lips curved up as Bella impatiently tried hinting about the surprise, as he said, "Ah, my dear Bella. I'll show you, just wait!"

Rummaging through the shelves in the back of his shed, he emerged from the fray, holding up a glistening shell hooked onto a thin, black string.

"Will! It looks amazing!" Bella exclaimed, hurrying up the necklace and examining it thoroughly. The shell was absolutely astonishing; the beauty of it was unfathomable. The ridges that swirled to the tip of the shell were lined with little bumps resembling pearls, and the whole shell seemed to have a heavenly glow to it. It was so extraordinary that Bella spent a few minutes just gawking at it.

Will simply said, "I knew you'd like it."

"Like it?" Bella dramatically asked with a flick of her hair, "I love it!" Taking the necklace from him, she pressed a kiss to his cheek and hugged him tightly. The kiss deepened and became more passionate as Bella set the necklace down to hold Will more. Will reached his strong hands to grip Bella's waist, as Bella wrapped her tan arms around Will's neck. Just as they were enjoying the quiet time they had to each other, Bella's phone rang, reverberating around the tiny boatshed. Bella gently extricated herself from Will's embrace and answered her phone. The whole time she listened, her face began to become solemn with a touch of puzzlement.

"What is it, Bella?" Will asked.

As Bella ended the call, she slowly said, "It was Rikki. She said her friend Emma has returned to the Gold Coast."

* * *

Bella and Will hastily hurried towards Rikki's Cafe, noticing a new girl conversing with Rikki and Cleo excitedly.

"Hey! Hey, guys!" Bella yelled, waving her arms for extra emphasis.

The trio sitting outside of the cafe turned around to the commotion, however the reception was so different. Rikki and Cleo smiled and beckoned Bella and Will over, but the new girl indifferently nodded her head at them as a sign of acknowledgement.

"Bella," Rikki began, gesturing to the new, blond girl, "This is Emma. Emma, Bella."

"Hey," Bella warmly greeted, sticking out a hand."

Emma seemed to glare at her, before reluctantly shaking her hand. Under her breath, although no one else noticed, Bella could distinctly hear Emma whisper, "Ugh, so this is the weird girl who is trying to steal my friends."

Hoping that she misheard, she innocently said, "What?"

"Oh, nothing," Emma answered, smiling a little too sweetly.

Sensing some tension, Rikki awkwardly said, "Why don't we take Emma on a tour? Let her see how things have changed."

At the mention of "changed," Bella could see Emma wincing discreetly. "You know what?" Emma suggested to Rikki, "Dear Bella must be a little disoriented from meeting me. Why don't you and Cleo take me on a tour? Bella can stay behind with that boy."

"Will," Will offered sheepishly.

"Right," Emma affirmed.

Cleo nodded slowly, "Sure, if that's okay with you, Bella?"

Bella gritted her teeth before responding, "Sure."

"Great, it's settled. See you soon, Bella!" Cleo and Rikki said in unison. Emma just gaped at Bella for a few seconds before following her friends.

As Bella watched her friends receding into the distance, she immediately turned to Will and hissed, "What is wrong with that Emma girl? I was trying to be nice and introduce myself, but I heard her whisper, 'Ugh, so this is the weird girl who is trying to steal my friends.'"

"Yeah, she seemed a little harsh," Will said in return, "Cut her some slack, though. She must seem a little surprised to see that her friends have a new best friend now."

"Yeah, I guess," Bella muttered. However, in her mind, all she could think of was how much trouble she might have to face with Emma around.


	6. Chapter 6

"Lisa, dear, calm down," Neil tried to soothe his wife as she frantically paced Emma's room.

"I can't calm down! Emma's been missing for hours!" Lisa panicked, fumbling with her spiky, graying hair. She had realized her daughter had been going through some depressed state lately, and had even acknowledged that traveling the world might've been the biggest mistake they have made. She was even considering persuading her husband to halt their trip, so that they could return to the Gold Coast for a little bit, just so Emma could visit her friends. However, Lisa hadn't expected to come home to an empty, silent house, with no sign of Emma. She realized Emma had left her phone behind and used Emma's passcode (she had instructed Emma to give her her phone's passcode so she could confirm, from time to time, that she wasn't doing anything inappropriate) to go through her recent messages. However, there was…

"Nothing! Nothing!" Lisa exclaimed, terrified.

Neil was crawling around the room, looking through notebooks that could possibly hint Emma's whereabouts. He had come across a sparkly blue journal with a feather pen placed neatly beside it. He flipped through the pages to discover the last sentence on the page, which said, "I wish I could be back at the Gold Coast with Rikki and Cleo."

"Uh, darling?" Neil said, scratching his head.

Lisa turned around immediately, "Yes?"

"I think Emma went back to the Gold Coast."

Lisa was shocked. She hadn't known that Emma was capable of committing something so rebellious. She snatched the journal from her husband, and reread the last sentence over and over again. "Oh, my!" Lisa gasped.

Neil placed a comforting hand on his wife's shoulder and whispered gently, "I think we should ask some of her friends, alright?"

Lisa shakily said, "Yes… Of course.."

Together, they went to alert Elliot of what they were about to do. However, if they looked any closer at the journal, they would've realized that one of the reasons why she wanted to return to the Gold Coast was to swim with her friends. As a _mermaid_.

* * *

"So, of all the cool places in the world, Emma went _back_? Back to the _Gold Coast_?" Elliot questioned incredulously.

"How did she get back?" Neil wondered, tapping his chin.

"Did she steal your credit card? Or some cash to buy a ticket? We are pretty close to the local airport," Elliot soliloquized. Emma escaping back to the Gold Coast was one of the most interesting things that has ever happened to him, since he realized that he had the opportunity to admire new locations and experience a diverse set of cultures. He was so immersed in trying to unravel the mystery that he didn't notice his mother with a grave expression.

"Lisa, dear? Are you fine?" Neil asked.

"No!" Lisa practically screamed, "No, I'm not fine! My baby girl has been _missing_! Do you _think_ I would be _fine_?"

Neil was about to intervene, but Lisa continued her screaming fit, "Why did we have to go, Neil? Why did we have to leave everything behind? Now, Emma has been extremely heartsick for the last few months since we have left! Do you know _why_?"  
"I know she misses her friends, I understand…" Neil said quietly, placing a hand on his son's shoulder for comfort and support.

"Yes, but she also misses the home she's known all of her life. I do, too! So, what was the point of leaving? Just to abandon _everything_?" Lisa tearfully yelled, dabbing a handkerchief she kept in her pocket to her eyes.

"NO!" Neil bellowed with clenched fists. It seemed as if he was pushed to the breaking point. He was quivering with anger as he turned to face his sobbing wife.

Elliot knew better than to interfere in his parent's arguments. He went to relax by one of the shrubs as he watched his parents work out their pent-up emotions.

"What?" Lisa whispered.

"Yes, you heard it, Liz! I didn't want to leave our family back at the Gold Coast, but I had no choice!" Neil exclaimed.

Lisa narrowed her eyes, "What are you talking about? There is _always_ a choice."

"No, not for this. Not for this," Neil closed his eyes, as he said, "In the Gold Coast, I was pressured. Pressured to be this perfect father to Elliot and Emma. Pressured to be this perfect person at my job. Pressured to be a perfect member in a loving family. When Zane's father came up to me the day I pitched the idea, he somehow knew of the pressure. He told me that he had reputable sources who have told him secrets of mine. How I sometimes wished I was apart of another family, not the Gilbert family. I was actually planning on leaving under the guise of a business trip, but I considered never returning. I know, that was so selfish, but then, my judgement. was clouded by hate and anxiety. He knew that you would be angered by this proposition, and he… threatened me. He said he'd tell you what he heard I said, unless… I left. I left my business for him and traveled the world for a few years. If I decided to come back, I could. He would return my business to me, but I know there will be a catch. So, I kept running and running. I'm sorry, Lisa. I was a coward, but I couldn't risk endangering my family to Harrison."

Lisa answered, "You are right. You _were_ a coward." Neil looked up in shock; he was expecting comfort not scolding from his wife, "However, you had your family's best interests at heart. For that, I love you." She wrapped an arm around her husband, and kissed him.

Elliot squealed in disgust, "Stop it! We're in public!"

Giggling, the couple swept their son into their arms and said in unison, "Let's go find out daughter."


	7. Chapter 7

"And that is the juice bar, where we often go for juices while trying to avoid Zane…" Cleo rambled.

Rikki giggled, "Cleo, remember that one time when we dressed up as…"

"Snobby, rich girls? That was hysterical! Zane was floored!" Cleo laughed, clapping her hands together.

As Cleo and Rikki laughed in amusement, reminiscing over past "excursions" to purchase beverages while avoiding Zane, Emma was oddly quiet. She wore a mask of solemn graveness, as she listened to her friends recount everything that occurred over the past three years. The only moment Emma seemed to be attentive was when Cleo mentioned Rikki's Cafe.

"What?" Emma asked, bewildered, "I thought it was the Juicenet Cafe?"

"Oh, yeah, Wilfred ditched it," Rikki smoothly said.

Cleo nodded, "Yeah, it went bankrupt, so Zane bought the place."

"So, care to give me a little explanation of everything that has happened?" Emma said pointedly, already starting to feel her fury rising again.

"Sure," Cleo responded, oblivious to Emma's irritation, "A few weeks before school started three years ago, Zane surprised Rikki with a business opportunity of re-opening the Cafe, but with renovations and a new name, Rikki's Cafe. On the opening a night a weird phenomenon occurred; water kept attacking us in the form of a tentacle in varying sizes. Bella, the singer who replaced Nate on opening night, confronted us about the "magic" she sensed in us. Rikki and I denied everything, but then an enormous water tentacle appeared, and "kidnapped" Rikki. I jumped into the water, with Bella following me. Turns out, she is a mermaid and had transformed when she lived in Ireland. We quickly befriended her and together, we had each other's backs as we struggled to protect our shared secret…. From that day on, we would always protect each other from people who were suspicious and wanted to unearth whatever secret they suspected we kept… We had so many great memories together… And we were there for each other when one of us was hurting…"

"Remember Sam's wedding? And Lewis leaving for America?" Rikki chimed in, looking nostalgically into the horizon, as if one part of her missed the days where she, her friends, and Lewis would experiment with their extraordinary abilities.

Emma was bewildered from the enormous amount of information thrown at her, "Lewis left for America? Who's Sam?"

Cleo informed, "Sam's my stepmother. All I can say is that Dad fell in love again."

Emma tried to hide her crumpling countenance. Her friends were so absorbed in their conversations, they barely noticed their friend's devastated expression. Emma stared up at her friends, so different from the inquisitive, boisterous girls she knew before. They were more mature, Cleo was definitely more dedicated to her studies from the way her eyes sparkled when she discussed her college classes, and… the most heartbreaking alteration in her friends was that they now were adorned with new necklaces… New necklaces to represent their new friendship to that Bella… Emma boiled with rage; their lockets were so meaningful to her, and her friends could just substitute them with new glowing, crystal necklaces?

Emma raised her head up slowly at her friends. Cleo and Rikki were still engaged in animated conversation, but she couldn't tolerate it any longer. Coldly, Emma interrupted and said, "I see… I've been forgotten, haven't I? It's all about dear Bella… This Bella can replace me so easily?"

Cleo looked prepared to defuse the tense situation, but Rikki narrowed her piercing eyes at Emma. "What's the matter with you?" Rikki asked, annoyed at her friend's sudden outburst, "It's always about being dramatic with you, huh, Em?"

"What's the matter with me?" Emma raged, quivering, "You've forgotten about me! You've moved on! You've even replaced the lockets… With these crystal necklaces! Were those lockets a parasite that infected you so much that you replaced them? Is that what it is? Am I that one thing from your past that you want to get rid of?"

Cleo soothed, "No, Emma… Please…"

"No!" Emma exclaimed so loudly that Cleo jumped back fearfully, "Just admit it, guys! I'm nothing to you guys! You've moved on, and I guess I don't matter in your lives anymore." With that, Emma turned sharply on her heel and stomped off, her blond hair billowing in the breeze.

"What was with Emma?" Cleo turned to Rikki, confused, "Everything was alright, and then Emma sort of snapped…"

"Emma's always like this… Sensitive and always overreacting at everything," Rikki scoffed. However, as she stared at Emma's receding figure, her eyes softened, and she murmured, "Though… I think I know where Emma's coming from… I should know because I have been treated like that for most of my childhood…"

Rikki turned to Cleo, the cold truth in her eyes, "We've been neglecting our friend and we haven't even realized it until now."


	8. Chapter 8

"Will, Emma is practically _insane_!" Bella raged, tearing at her hair, "I don't mean any offense, but she hates me! I haven't done anything to upset her, and she still glares and says rude things to me!"

Will soothed in a calm yet firm voice, "I'm sure it's a huge misunderstanding, Bella… I'm sure Emma means no harm." He stood up from his location on the couch and walked up to his girlfriend, placing two comforting hands on both of her shoulders. "Come on, let me see that beautiful smile," he pouted teasingly.

Bella managed to muster a smile and leaned against her boyfriend, enjoying the warmth Will radiated. That was exactly why Bella was so in love with him. He could always dispense wise evidence whenever she needed it. As she embraced Will, she noticed a flicker of movement in the window of Will's boatshed. She gently extricated herself from Will's strong arms and whispered, "There's someone outside…"

"Ssh," Will hushed as he went to the window to investigate closer.

Feeling her heart clench in fear, Bella whimpered, "Will…" She wasn't normally so terrified of something so minor, but there was a feeling she couldn't shake off.

Suddenly, a knock from the door resounded throughout the entire boatshed. All of the shelves, furniture, and the contents on display rattled, even though a knock on the door isn't as powerful as an earthquake. Will looked back at Bella nervously before striding towards the door and unlocking it. At the steps leading onto the porch was a stone-faced Emma. Behind her was a tall, muscular man who looked quite terrified.

Emma narrowed her eyes at Bella, her stare piercing into that conniving girl's soul. She might have seemed bright and flowery to Emma at first, but she had stolen her friends. Rikki and Cleo no longer cared for her and it was all Bella. Emma ordinarily didn't believe in seeking revenge, but she was too deep into her insatiable crave for vengeance to stop. "Hello, Bella," Emma said coldly, "I believe we need to talk…"

Bella looked up at Will, wondering how on earth she got herself tangled in this mess.


End file.
